Things That Make You Love And Hate Okinawa Caves

YOMITAN, Okinawa Prefecture–Memorabilia and symbols of accord were destroyed in an act of abuse at a cavern actuality area dozens of civilians committed suicide during the 1945 Action of Okinawa.

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The Chibichiri cave, a accustomed cavern amid in blubbery woodland, is one of the best-known reminders of the adversity and tragedy accomplished by the islanders in World War II.

Shoichi Chibana, a Buddhist abbot and a above agent of Yomitan village, noticed the abuse on Sept. 12, back he guided adopted journalists to the cave.

“(The cave) is not aloof a grave for bodies who accept suffered a faculty of answerability for years for actual the tragedy,” said Chibana, 69. “(The vandalism) is an act of killing the victims afresh and deriding the acute history of Okinawa.”

On April 2, 1945, 83 villagers took apartment in the cavern but begin themselves amidst by U.S. troops who had landed on Okinawa’s capital island the antecedent day.

Although they were noncombatants, the villagers had been absolute with the administrative Japanese aggressive axiom that equated bouncing the white banderole with disgrace.

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Instead of surrendering to U.S. forces, the villagers committed suicide or asked added evacuees in the cavern to annihilate them.

Their charcoal still abide in the cave. Jugs and bottle bottles that the villagers had brought with them were additionally larboard in the cavern as reminders of the battle.

The argosy were begin burst and their pieces broadcast on the arena on Sept. 12.

Junior and aerial academy acceptance who visited the cavern on accord programs larboard bags of origami cranes as symbols of achievement and healing.

Half of the origami cranes were ripped afar and broadcast abreast the aperture of the cave.

Cave complex in Okinawa by seachicken | Spelunking | Pinterest …

A accumulation of beggared families has banned access to the cave, but its access was not blocked by a fence or added barrier.

A assurance prohibiting access was apparent on a abruptness added than 10 meters from its accepted position at the aperture of the cave.

Relatives of the asleep who paid their respects at the armpit during the Bon anniversary on Sept. 5 did not address any irregularities at the cave, according to the Yomitan apple government and police.

This is not the aboriginal time the cavern has been hit by vandalism.

In 1987, “the bronze of accord abutting generations” was installed at the cavern access in account of the dead. It was congenital by bounded sculptor Minoru Kinjo, with the advice of beggared ancestors members. Later that year, a right-winger destroyed the statue.

Underground Caves Okinawa Japan June 15 Stock Photo 15 …

Kinjo and the beggared ancestors associates in 1995 rebuilt and installed the bronze at the aperture of the cave. A assurance address a composition about the tragedy was set up alfresco the cave. It was allegedly placed on the bronze during the vandalism.

Chibana said the latest advance was “more malicious” than the one in 1987.

Masaie Ishihara, assistant emeritus of folklore at Okinawa International University, said he was added “terrified” than “outraged” by the vandalism.

“The cavern is a attribute of Okinawans’ sufferings in the battle, in which they were indoctrinated to allotment the aforementioned fate with the Japanese military,” he said. “The (vandalism) act appears to accept been motivated by a admiration to abolish Okinawa’s accord movement.”

Norio Yonaha, who active the accumulation of beggared families, said he has no abstraction why the cavern was vandalized.

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“We should not abide this,” said Yonaha, 63, who absent bristles ancestors in the accumulation suicide, including his mother’s parents. “But we are bent to restart sending out letters for peace.”